Posted on 22-8-2003

Greenpeace Halts Import Coal Unloading

Tauranga, 21 August 2003; 4.00pm - Greenpeace activists boarded the vessel
Atermon today as it berthed in Port Tauranga, preventing 30,000 tonnes of
coal from being unloaded. The Indonesian coal is to be burnt at Genesis’s
Huntly Power Station, fuelling global warming by releasing carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere.

Activists climbed the ship’s side, preventing the coal from being unloaded,
and displayed banners reading ‘Reject polluting power’.

“This shipload of dirty old coal is just the tip of the iceberg. Genesis is
negotiating to import one million tonnes of coal every year, on top of a
recent deal struck with Solid Energy for 11 million tonnes of coal over the
next eight years,” said climate campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.

“The Government must step in and cancel current negotiations for the
importation of one million tonnes of coal every year. State owned
enterprises such as Genesis must be brought in line with government policy
and invest in clean renewable energy such as wind.”

“New Zealand is moving into a phase where we will be burning more coal for
electricity generation than at any other time in our history. In this age
of climate change we need to be rapidly phasing out fossil use not
increasing our dependency on coal ­ the most greenhouse gas polluting of
all fossil fuels.”

“Over the next eight years, Genesis plans to increase the amount of coal it
burns at Huntly by about 19 million tonnes. This will release an additional
45.6 million tonnes of climate changing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”

“While the Government is trying to tackle agricultural greenhouse gas
emissions, they are also hypocritically consenting to Genesis increasing
climate pollution. Many fine words have been said about renewable energy as
the future for New Zealand, yet Government actions continue to embed more
dirty coal into our electricity system.”

Coal facts:

• Genesis has publicly stated that they will be running Huntly Power
Station on 80% coal and 20% gas. Three years ago it ran on only 20% coal
• Burning coal produces 72% more carbon dioxide than burning gas
• It takes 1000 trucks to move this shipment of 30,000 tonnes of coal. This
volume of coal can be burnt within 30 hours when Huntly runs at full capacity.

“Globally we need to break our fossil fuel dependency to avoid dangerous
climate change. As part of this, our Government should develop an
electricity system from 100% renewable sources, decommission fossil fuel
power stations and actively bring on line clean alternatives,” concluded Ms
Atkinson.

This is the last in a series of three shipments of coal for use in Genesis’
Huntly coal and gas fired power station, in the Waikato. These three
shipments have been the first imports of coal for use as fuel, possibly
since the Second World War. The coal will be trucked to Huntly and some
stockpiled in a disused quarry in Matamata.

A total of 90,000 tonnes of coal, including this shipment, has been
imported from Indonesia this year for use at Huntly. The coal is being
imported, as domestic supply is not enough.

Coal use is on the rise in New Zealand

New Zealand is moving into a phase where we will be burning more coal than
at any other time in our history.

• Genesis has publicly stated that they will be running Huntly power
station on 80% coal and 20% gas in the next few years. This is a complete
reversal of the situation three years ago when it ran on only 20% coal.

• Genesis and Solid Energy have signed a deal for 11.408 million tonnes
over the next 8 years, locking in this increase in coal dependency until 2011.

• Genesis is currently negotiating to import one million tonnes of coal
every year from 2004: 500,000 tonnes from Indonesia and 500,000 tonnes from
northern Queensland, Australia.

• This year more coal is likely to be barged up to supply Huntly from Solid
Energy’s West Coast mines.

• Over the next 8 years, state owned company Genesis Power intend to burn
at least 19 million tonnes of coal at Huntly above it’s previous
production, releasing approximately 45.6 million tonnes of climate changing
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• Solid Energy is also proposing a new 150MW coal fired power station in
the Buller region.

Coal

• Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel and produces the most carbon dioxide
(CO2) of any fossil fuel and burning coal produces 72% more CO2 than
burning gas ; and

• CO2 is the major global contributor to climate change.

Global imperative to tackle climate change and phase out fossil fuels

Global warming is the most serious environmental problem facing the planet
today. It is caused mainly by an increase in CO2 levels from the burning of
fossil fuels for energy. “Greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide and
methane are thickening the natural canopy of gases in our atmosphere
causing it to heat up and our climate to change. This results in climatic
instability and more extreme weather events such as droughts and floods,
rising sea levels and glacial retreat.

To slow global warming, we have to drastically reduce greenhouse gas
emissions globally. 75% of recoverable fossil fuel reserves must remain in
the ground - never to be used as fuels - if we want to keep global
temperature increases under one degree Celsius and avoid dangerous levels
of climate change. To do this, energy services globally need to be met
through the efficient use of non-greenhouse gas emitting, renewable energy.

Renewable energy needs to be developed quickly in New Zealand for the
country to reap medium to long-term benefits. Deep cuts in greenhouse gas
emissions are needed now to ensure that we will be able to meet reduction
targets in twenty to fifty years.

Government Responsibilities: The Kyoto Protocol

The New Zealand Government signed the Kyoto Protocol, an international
agreement to address climate change, on the 10 November 2002. New Zealand
therefore has international commitments to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Electricity Generation in New Zealand

An energy strategy is urgently needed to map out a transition to an
electricity system of 100% renewable sources in New Zealand by 2020, and to
create a truly secure, reliable and environmentally sustainable electricity
system.

New Zealand has one of the best wind resources in the world, yet also one
of the most underdeveloped with only about 0.5% of our energy supplied by
wind. Other countries with poorer wind resources have much more of their
energy supplied by wind - Denmark already has 18% of its electricity from
wind. But these successes only occurred when the governments in those
countries took the lead and put in place a policy framework and supporting
mechanisms such as mandatory renewable energy targets, to drive the
renewable energy development. The same must happen here.

The current unregulated market system and policies are clearly not working.
The New Zealand Government must take the lead and develop an energy
strategy and supporting mechanisms, if we are to have a truly sustainable,
reliable and secure energy system.